An E-Commerce website is an online platform that enables retailers and small businesses (both shop based and home based) to establish their online presence and sell their products or services online.

An e-commerce website ideally provides the customer to complete experience of shopping right from walking into a shop until payments and getting the product delivered at their doorstep. Here are some of the key reasons why most of the business is setting up an e-commerce website:

Increasing customer base online through search engines and Social Media:

E-commerce websites are accessible worldwide and attract more customers to visit the business online than visiting a physical store.

Rise in Sales from online customers:

More visitors to the website combined with quality products and information leads to more business. The more the information provided online about each product, including a picture of the item, its details, colors and quantity available etc. helps the customer make the decision to purchase the product they need instantly which increases sales for any business irrespective of being a home business or a commercial business.

Round the Clock Availability:

The majority of the shops are open during the day and some are open late, but businesses are very rarely open 24/7. Since the website will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year, customers can view details about your products and purchase them anytime.

Better understanding on customers:

It is often hard to understand why exactly a customer walks into a shop and walks out purchasing anything. This is because the customer had something in mind, but did not want to ask the shopkeeper and hence just looks around the different items in the shops before walking away. This is not the case with an E-Commerce website. In most E-Commerce websites a web page is created individually for each product and it is possible to perform a regular (daily, weekly or monthly) review to see how many customers visited each of your products and for how long they stayed on that page. This gives the businesses an understanding on what products the customers are looking for most and products that are of least interest.

Increased Brand Awareness:

Brand awareness is key for any business. Having an E-Commerce website which gives the ability to advertise and sell products online increases the businesses presence and awareness online. A professionally designed E-Commerce website with Search Engine Optimisation boosts the retailers' products up on the search engine search thereby increasing the business's brand visibility to more customers.

Instant Transactions:

Most retailers prefer E-Commerce websites these days as it helps the customer choose the products and pay for them instantly online thereby guaranteeing payment and business for the retailer. Receiving payments online reduces the hassle of cash handling and increases credibility with the customer.

Lower Operations Cost:

The cost of building and hosting an E-Commerce website online is very cheap compared to renting a physical shop and operating it with staff and other associated costs. E-commerce websites help recessing operations cost for all types of businesses ranging from big giant retails to the smallest of businesses with one or two employees. All the business has to do is update their products online and organize for the product to be picked up or delivered.